Vintage Laundry Appliances and Electric Power

[launderess]

Just unpacked the latest addition to my laundry room, a nice Hurley "Iron Press" (clam press to you lay people, *LOL*).

Such a thing of beauty, cast iron base, shiny top (chromium?), but get this, runs on 120v, 1450 watts of power on a 15 amp circut.

This is not my first time coming across an ironer/iron or some other vintage laundry appliance that ran on 1300 watts or above on a 15 amp circut. My old Thor Gladiron ran on 1625 watts/15 amp circut.

This has me wondering how older homes were wired for electric. When did the code requirements about no more than 80% of the rated amp load be used for an appliance? Seems like playing with fire to run 1400 watts on 15 amp circut, especially if one had allot of ironing to do, thus kept the unit on for three hours or more. By the way have yet to see a three pronged original plug either.

Where homes wired so differently that pulling lots of juice didn't cause problems?

L.

 

[maytagbear]

Times were different

in the 1910-1940 era. Not every family had everything sold then.

Maybe a fridge, some lamps, a radio, maybe a wringer washer, a Hoover.....Maybe a non-automatic toaster which drew under 600 watts, and was unplugged after use......

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[launderess]

Ok, just did the math. Using today's modern code of no more than 80% load on a circut:15amps/120V would be 1440 watts. Therefore 1425 is below, but just. Do know from experience such items must be plugged directly into an outlet rather than a power strip or they will trip and or possible melt said power strip.

L.

 

[brettsomers]

yes lawrence

and no a/c, and no microwaves, tvs were later in the 50s. the fridge was prolly the only thing that might conflict with a high wattage appliance back then.

 

[toggleswitch]

WAY back, branch circuits were 10 amps. Apparently that did not last too long.

I am still amazed that toasters and such were screwed into Edison-base (screw-base) light-bulp/lamp sockets before outlets (power-points) were existant/standardized/common-place.

Pendant lamps now use the flimsiest of flex cords. I would guess back then the wiring of such hanging lamps was more substantial just for such eventualites of plugged-in heavy-draw, high-wattage small appliances.

 

[chad_hauris]

There are modern 120-v electric heaters are rated at 1500 watts.

 

[shawn]

Electric Power

My grandmother lived for many year's in a two family apt house, and each apt had only one fuse for everything. The fuse box was not even in the house but in the front house
where the landlord lived. You had to unplug the refig to run
the mangle iron, and so on. after many years the insurance
company made them replace this system.

 

[lightedcontrols]

I remember when I was a kid......

....Applacian Power and light company put electric in our town (Skygusty, West Virginia). Would you believe in 1959! They already had power in Welch, Gary, and Thorpe, but it was only on for 6 hours a day, and it was never up to a full 60 cycles. Freinds in Welch had power but the lights were dim and always flickering. They also offered as an incentive, a FREE electric stove and fridge. You could also buy a washer and dryer at a discount. They offered Frigidaire, Kelvinator, and Maytag products. The interesting thing about the offer, was that the actual appliances were not current year appliances, but previous (or several year previous) model years but still brand new in the box. Dad's parents chose the Maytag and Mom's parents chose the Frigidaire! An Aunt and Uncle chose the Kelvinator!!! Was I a lucky kid or what?!!!!! The nice thing about electric, as we quickly learned, was we now had water INSIDE the house!!!....so the outhouse was a quick thing of the past, Preaise The Lord!!!. My Grandfather Harman quickly replaced the fuel oil heater, in the middle of the living room floor, with a new built in fan forced coal furnace that occupied most of the basement. Not long after, I think maybe in 1963 the state came and paved the road. We were now living high! Mark

 

[westytoploader]

Around the 1910's or so, many vacuum cleaners existed with plugs that screwed into a light socket.

 

[westytoploader]

Steve, are you talking about those ceiling lamps that plugged into the wall? Can you say TACKY...especially with that clear yellow or orange cord running through that gold-colored chain all the way down! The previous owners had one of these plugged in near the kitchen here (talk about a time-warp, and I don't mean it in a positive way either).

Not to mention I shocked the hell out of myself with one when I was about 7 (not at our house...LOL).

 

[launderess]

Not just vacuum cleaners, but all manner of home appliances were plugged into outlets that screwed into ceiling light fixtures. Have many vintage laundry/houskeeping books that speak of irons and other kitchen/small appliances connected that way.

Many of my vintage irons and other electrical appliances have "AC Power Only" on the box and or somewhere on the appliance. Can only imagine how many children and housewives went to their maker because of that ceiling screw in types.

L.

 

[toggleswitch]

Steve, are you talking about those ceiling lamps that plugge

I am confused as to the question but here goes.

BEFORE there were even outlets there was a lamp socket in the ceiling. Due to very high ceilings (above today's eight-footers [2.4 meters]) there were also *pendants* or lamp sockets hanging from a wire. I don't think the chain part was yet thought-of. Sometimes these were very low as a chandelier would be over a table to keep the low wattage lamps/bulbs near the table and to provide sufficient lumination.

Now as far a wall-lamps go (sconces) I don't recall any in my youth, but since older gas lights were on the wall I can only assume that there were some electic lights on the wall also.

See link. The concept of pulling power from a lamp socket still pesists as we can see by item #5. Those prices are INSANE as this item is nomally less than $2. Perhaps this price is for a dozen and Ii did not read the details.

BTW the really old appliances had what looks like the base of a standard Edison screw-base lamp (light-bulb) on the end of the flex cord to enable connection to a lamp socket. The outlet we are familiar with that has prong plug and receptacle connections came later.

Clear as mud? LOL

Chandelier => French *chandel* or *candle*. a hanging candle holder with many candles.

http://www.levitonproducts.com/catalog/dept_id_512.htm

 

[Cybrvanr]

Check out one of the scenes in Disney's "carousel of progress" that was supposed to be from the 1930's. It takes place in a farmhouse. Coming from the ceiing is a bunch of cords, adapaters and splitters going to appliances all over the kitchen. In classic Disney Anamatronic fashion, the family uses all the appliances at the same time till the house shorts out, then takes out the neighborhood with it! You see the transformer outside the window spark, and then the whole scene goes dark...you then move on to modern times.

That's pretty amazing Lightedcontrols that electricity was that late in coming to your home! Young folk like myself have always assumed that electricity was avaliable anywhere you want to build since it's inception!

Westy, My mom finaly got rid of her lamp with the electric chain when she recently remodeled her kitchen. They replaced it with a nice chandalier. Mom had one of those old light fixtures from the 70's that looked sort of like an electrified kerosene lantern, back when the "country kitchen" style was popular

 

[launderess]

Wide Spread Electrical Power

Oh No!

When electricity was just "getting off the ground" various "power companies" which were private businesses, only went where they assumed a large amount of customers would sign up for power, thus justify the cost of running lines. This meant at late as the 1930's many areas, especially rural areas did not have power as not enough people would sign up or the population of say a town was not great enough to interest the power companies.

Mr. Insul began to sell shares in his various power companies to help raise funds for bringing power to diverse areas. Also the federal government got involved with when it created things like the TVA (Tennessee Valley Association), and also passed laws regulating power companies. Of course the fed got involved in big ways when funded in part or whole large dams like the Hoover Dam, which generate power.

Talk to some of the old timers living on farms in the 1930's or so, and you'll find out electricity was not always around. People lived the way humans had for centuries, by the sun. One woke up at sunrise, worked during the day when the sun was up, maybe stayed up until "wee hours" of 8pm or so buring candle or oil lamp light. Fresh foods like fruits and veggies were only what was grown in season, could be picked and stored for a few days. Don't ask about meat! It couldn't be smoked or salted like pork or fish chances are one didn't eat it. Meat like beef was a rare treat is uncooked beef could not be stored. Things were slightly better in the north and mid-west where access to ice or cold weather meant at least part of the year foods could be stored in the cold.

L.

 

[tolivac]

also in those early days farms had "Winchargers" and batteries to store the power the windmill generated.Now "Winchargers " are making a comeback for folks that want to live "off the grid"Many an appliance ran off 32VDC in those days-was a standard light and appliance voltage---one time silly me found some 32V light bulbs in an old cabin-tried one on 120V-made a good flashbulb.My grandmother had a sewing machine that ran off 32VDC.The cottage was fed with 32VDC from an old generator and battery system-the generator had a large "hit-miss" one cylinder gas engine to turn it.The early Windchargers could charge 32V systems.Many rural farms and homes used that system-you were "off the grid" in those days-until commercial and Rural electrification Power came about.Early WinChargers are prized collector itmes-some are found in old barns--or even still in the feild.Sadly some of them had rifle bullets shot thru them--but some collectors have them rewouind and could use them again.When the units were no longer used-some used them for "targets"I would not do that-the device still could be useful.

 

[sudsmaster]

My house still has some knob and tube wiring in the older, original construction (living/dining/one bedroom/one bath). The original wiring is hefty enough to carry 20 amps, and so that's what the breakers are rated for. So I could see an older resistance-type appliance being rated for over 1500 watts/110 volts.

 

[tolivac]

The 32v systems also used the Knob & Tube wiring as well-Usually that had to go when the power was upgraded to 120V.The insulation on the 32V systems was unsafe to use for 120V.

 

[chad_hauris]

I was at the hardware store last night and still saw lamp sockets that have exposed screw terminals for the wires! You would think modern electrical codes wouldn't allow it...
The devices that convert a screw base lampholder to a 2 prong socket are popular for plugging in the Christmas lights to an outdoor light socket.

Leviton Medium Base Porcelain Pony Cleat Lampholder - TWAatHome.com

 

[launderess]

Old Gas Wall Sconces

And ceiling light fixtures were simply wired to carry electic power, leaving the gas pipes intact.

Apartment builing lived in that was located in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, had a neighoor who kept getting very high gas bills. Even though the only gas to her apartment was the stove, and that was suppoesed to be paid by the landlord. Con Ed came out and it turned out gas was still being piped to her apartment via the old lines for gas lighting. After they were capped/turned off, bills went to normal.

More recently in the series "1900 House", you saw the builders "restart" the old gas light fixtures both wall and ceiling by in some cases merely taking the caps off/removing 80 years or so of gunk clogging the end of the pipe.

Knowing what we know about natural gas today, would rather have candels or even oil lamps than gas light fixtures in my house.

L.